142 :
18 Mar 2010

A lesson in how to reverse a law and yet still remain true to God's word... A fascinating commentary from Dr Ian Elmer today. It explores how St Paul justified his embrace of the Gentiles. Yes, it's a commentary about circumcision again but these are far more important issues that our learned friend is discussing with us here than the cutting of genitalia to prove our membership of God's people. Ian draws from a number of sources to discuss the radically different approach to Law that Paul proposed based on his understanding of the message being offered by Jesus himself. This is one of those sort of commentaries where you might feel your faith and belief axis shift a degree or two around its polar axis as you read it. [more]

141 :
11 Mar 2010

What is God's name? Dr Ian Elmer returns today to a discussion that resurfaces from time to time on Catholica — the truly puzzling matter of the names we give to God. His treatment is in part triggered by the recent decision of Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments urging that we drop the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton in liturgical celebrations in song or prayer. [more]

140 :
04 Mar 2010

Authority and Dissent in the Church! Today's commentary from Dr Ian Elmer follows on from the lengthy discussion in our forum in recent weeks on the questions of authority. Who do we believe? It's a long commentary where he re-visits arguments he's presented earlier on Catholica of the history of authority and dissent in the time of St Paul and Ss Peter, James and John. Ian invites readers who are already familiar with those arguments to skip the first part and proceed directly to his "Final Reflections" which brings all this discussion we've been having to some kind of focus. Click HERE to go directly to the "Final Reflections". [more]

139 :
26 Feb 2010

Why was Circumcision the Sign of the Covenant? (Gen 17:11) Now here is a commentary from Dr Ian Elmer with a sting in the tail. The body of the commentary is an examination of the fascinating history of how circumcision came to be so tied up with religion and religious identity. How did these rituals emerge? What did they mean? Are they God-given or man-made? What do they mean today? Are there lessons we can learn today from the changing meaning? This is a very thought-provoking commentary. [more]

138 :
25 Feb 2010

Why Catholic thinking does not rely on Scripture alone In lieu of the normal commentary by Dr Elmer today we draw your attention to a discussion he is endeavouring to foster in the forum on the foundations of Catholic thought and belief. It's a discussion about the basis on which Catholicism has formed its theological and social insights — a blending of inspired Scripture and human reflection on Scripture and the other insights we receive into the nature of Creation and Being from other sources, including the actions of the Divine in the world. We encourage your contributions to the discussion. [more]

137 :
18 Feb 2010

Were We Too Quick to Deify Jesus? At first sight the headline of today's commentary from Dr Ian Elmer might suggest that we are in for a very radical essay questioning the Divinity of Jesus. And in some ways it is but right towards the end you'll discover Ian's reason for the provocation. As he admitted in his covering email to the editor, it is really a very conservative essay but he wants to take us to some important questions for reflection that lay beyond the question of the Divinity of Jesus. This is a very thought-provoking commentary. [more]

136 :
11 Feb 2010

Why is God always judging people in the Old Testament? No doubt flowing out of the recent extended discussion in the Catholica forum about the meaning of 'salvation' and 'salvation history' Dr Ian Elmer brings us a gem of a commentary today. It explores both the differences and similarities in the picture of God presented in the Old and New Testaments and it also seeks to explain the evolution in the human, Christian understanding of this Mystery we try to condense into the term "God". Perhaps our Jewish forebears got one thing right in their use of the term "YWYH" — the name that could not be pronounced or said as a sign of this Being beyond being and totally other, and Mystery? This commentary is to be thoroughly recommended to all seriously interested in exploring the meaning in terms like 'salvation', 'salvation history', 'the kingdom' and 'judgment'. [more]

135 :
04 Feb 2010

Did Jesus consider himself a Eunuch? Remember when they employed castrati in the Vatican choir? Most of us are too young to remember but there would be some still alive today when the last Castrati died. Eunuchs have been a feature of many civilisations. Dr Ian Elmer's commentary today delves back to explore what Jesus and Paul had to say on the subjects of eunuchs, castrati, celibacy and marriage. What is the meaning of all this today? Civilised societies do not expect men today to castrate themselves to serve the Emperor or the Church. Do we stop at the physical, or should we consider others non-physical forms of castration? [more]

134 :
24 Dec 2009

Wise Men and Humble Shepherds! Today's commentary from Dr Ian Elmer will sit very comfortably with those who watched the documentary last week on ABC television entitled "The Star of Bethlehem: Behind the Myth" (it is still available on iView but sadly I've not been able to find other references on the net for readers in countries outside Australia). Like the documentary, Ian is exploring the fact and fiction — the mythos and logos — of the appearance of the Magi and the Shepherds in the Christmas story. Were these real actors in the Christmas story or is their presence meant to direct our attention to the meaning of the Incarnation? [more]

133 :
17 Dec 2009

The Nativity Narratives... The entire Jesus' story is hugely puzzling — particularly the Gospel narratives that attempt to provide context to the arrival of Jesus in our human midst. In today's commentary Dr Ian Elmer seeks to explore the contradictions between the various Nativity Narratives. He seeks to explain how some of them arose but the thrust of his commentary seeks itself to outline the context of what Jesus represents to us. [more]

132 :
10 Dec 2009

Should we take the Virgin Birth seriously? Biblical scholar, Dr Ian Elmer, today analyses the long-enduring controversy over the literal interpretation of the virginity of the Mother of Jesus. He seeks to bring together the differing arguments of some of the leading contemporary writers in the controversy. His own conclusion is "This isn't Mithras or Hercules; nor, for that matter, is the Jesus myth comparable to that of Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. Jesus isn't a fairy tale character, let alone some angelic or semi-divine figure whose story functions only to point to spiritual realities. ... While it may be true to say that belief in the Virgin Birth is not ultimately necessary for our relationship with the Father, I think there are always some non-negotiable aspects to the faith." [more]

131 :
03 Dec 2009

Does God condone war and genocide? Today's commentary from Dr Ian Elmer sits very comfortably with the discussions Tom McMahon, Robert Blair Kaiser and others have been sparking over a considerable time on Catholica about our moral understanding of aggression and just war. Ian goes back to examine a puzzling passage from the Old Testament where God, or YHWH, appears to countenance genocide on a mass scale. Is there another way in which this Biblical account ought be read? [more]

130 :
26 Nov 2009

Whatever Happened to the "Strange Gods"? Here's a commentary from Dr Ian Elmer with an embarrassing 'twist' in its conclusion. It starts off investigating the first commandment — the one about not having "strange Gods before us", moves to ancient goings on and tussles about deities in Canaan, Israel, Sumeria and other ancient locales but ends with confronting questions any thinking Christian ought spend time contemplating today. [more]

129 :
19 Nov 2009

Did God have a wife? What a provocative, and fascinating commentary Dr Ian Elmer presents us with today. He argues it's not simply an interesting piece of history though. In exploring the religious practices of ancient people we better understand some of the practices of today. [more]

128 :
12 Nov 2009

Was the Church in Rome founded by a Woman? Dr Ian Elmer is being deliberately provocative with his headline — but for good reason as you'll discover as you follow his reasoning in this commentary which will be heartening to many. Like a biblical detective he's on the trail of endeavouring to understand who were the earliest founders of the Christian communities in Rome. [more]

127 :
06 Nov 2009

"The Kingdom of God is among you" (Lk 17:21) To round-out his series of Puzzling Passages commentaries linking into the writing of St Luke, Dr Ian Elmer today explores what Jesus meant when he said "the Kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:21). How does this gel with the idea of a Kingdom to come or some "heaven" in the future? [more]

126 :
29 Oct 2009

Who was Theophilus? Writers and artists use all sorts of tricks to gain the attention of their audiences or to get their message across. In the Puzzling Passage he's selected for us today, Dr Ian Elmer explores the mysterious character Theophilus in the writing of the Evangelist Luke. Who was Theophilus? Was he a real person or an archetype created by Luke, the creative writer, to represent a large group in the early Christian community — the Roman-Gentiles attracted to the Jesus movement? What an excellent series Dr Elmer is bringing us in the lead-up to the e-Conference on St Luke next Wednesday? [more]

125 :
22 Oct 2009

Is the Acts of the Apostles Historically Reliable? In today's commentary Dr Ian Elmer continues with what has developed into a valuable prelude to the e-Conference on St Luke by exploring aspects of the writings of St Luke. This commentary explores both the historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles and the theological impetus that appears to rest behind what St Luke was trying to achieve in writing Acts. [more]

124 :
15 Oct 2009

What Record was Luke Setting Straight? Another welcome bit of pre-reading on Luke from Ian Elmer today that might come in handy for the forthcoming e-Conference on St Luke. Essentially the question Dr Elmer explores is the motivation that caused the Lukan Gospel account to be written. Why did Luke feel he needed to correct the Gospel account of Mark? [more]

123 :
08 Oct 2009

How Many Gospels Were Written before Luke? Dr Ian Elmer today takes on the much discussed question of the provenance and reliability of the Gospel record. It's a timely commentary in view of the upcoming e-Conference on St Luke which takes place in a few week's time — a bit of pre-reading if you like. [more]

122 :
01 Oct 2009

Did Jesus and His Disciples Oppose the Temple? This is a fascinating commentary from biblical scholar Dr Ian Elmer today — one that I predict will become one of the most read and studied on Catholica in time. In the very best traditions of Catholic scholarship, Ian today invites us to examine some very important attitudes of Jesus towards Judaism. As most readers of Catholica will appreciate the relations between Christians and Jews include much which is ugly and significant efforts have been made over the last century to re-visit where this relationship became screwed up. Dr Elmer isn't directly endeavouring to solve the problem of the relation of Christians to Jews. He's attempting to cut to a fuller, more honest, or more truthful understanding of certain passages in the Gospels that have been problematic — for centuries and possibly millennia. We live in an exciting epoch when we have the benefit of rich reflections like this. [more]

121 :
24 Sep 2009

Did Jesus ever get angry? Now here's a commentary that might test your Sunday school beliefs — and one that might even trigger a sustained debate amongst Biblical scholars. There are really two questions up for consideration: Did Jesus get angry (fullstop)? And, did he get angry as depicted in the cleansing of the Temple scene described by Mark? The focus of Dr Ian Elmer's, commentary today is on the second question rather than the first but if his arguments carry weight perhaps the first question becomes the more important one and throws open to debate the big moral questions of "righteous anger" and "just war" theory. [more]

120 :
10 Sep 2009

The Ten Commandments... The "Ten Commandments" is one of those terms that everybody knows, perhaps most people have even read a listing of the so-called ten at some stage. But how much do we really know about their origins and meaning. In today's commentary biblical scholar, Dr Ian Elmer, endeavours to provide some food for thought on the subject that extends our understanding beyond the school-level understanding that perhaps most apply when they think of the subject of what laws God might have given us. [more]

119 :
03 Sep 2009

How Does God Speak to Us? Today's reflection from Dr Ian Elmer is less about a particular "puzzling passage" and more to do with what is perhaps the most puzzling thing about faith and belief — how does the Author of Life speak to us? What's the Biblical record have to say? What do theologians and popes have to say? Ian ends with a series of questions that provide great fodder for reflection — and discussion. [more]

118 :
27 Aug 2009

Why does God always appear on Mountains? Look up the phrase "God on the Mountain" in Google images and you get around 12.5 million results. There is a BIG association between God and mountains in the eyes of many. Dr Ian Elmer in his "Puzzling Passages" commentary today explores the Scriptural connection between God and high places. What's the mythological and theological meaning in this sign? [more]

117 :
20 Aug 2009

Does Forty mean 40? A new contributor to our forum today, Raymond, has sparked an interesting discussion that intersects well with what Dr Elmer is exploring today — applying critical reason to the reading of Scripture. The ancient scribes who laid out the inspired word of God didn't necessarily work in the same thought paradigms we work in today. When does seven not mean 7, or forty not mean 40? Welcome to the wonderful world of Biblical numerology! [more]

116 :
13 Aug 2009

Faith and Miracles (Mark 6:5-6) As Dr Elmer explains in his opening paragraph today, this commentary follows on logically from last week's. Today though he takes a look at the more general context of the miracle stories told in the Gospels. What are these events seeking to tell us? How do they fit into the overall context of what the Jesus' message is about? [more]

115 :
06 Aug 2009

The Calming of the Sea... When we first learn of the great Biblical stories as children we tend to understand them as literal and historical events — something that really and truly did happen. As adults we begin to appreciate that the original intention of the authors was not, as with some modern journalist or historian, an endeavour to give "an eyewitness account of some event". Very often the chief objective was to convey some theological insight. As today's commentator, Dr Ian Elmer, has pointed out in the past, writers like St Paul were often economical with the historical truth in their enthusiasm to take their readers to some theological truth or spiritual insight. Often in Jesus' case the linkage was not necessarily to an historical event but back to some liturgical insight in the Jewish scriptures — which was the frame of reference most people operated in at the time religiously. Today's commentary by Dr Elmer is an excellent illustration of these things. Ian today seeks to give us insight into the liturgical and theological meaning in the Gospel story of Jesus Calming the Sea. [more]

114 :
30 Jul 2009

The Parting of the Sea... It is an interesting question as to how much our theology and understanding of scripture has been formed by visual artists and film-makers and how much is grounded in either historical reality or the mythological or liturgical understandings that the original authors were seeking to convey. How much has our theology of heaven and hell been formed by the visual images embedded by the likes of Milton and Dante? Or how much has our understanding of bible history been coloured by Cecile B. DeMille? Today, Dr Elmer gives us insight into some of the more recent scholarship into that iconic story seared in the Christian and Jewish imagination — The Parting of the Sea told in Exodus. [more]

113 :
23 Jul 2009

What Did Jesus Say at the Last Supper? Gone are the days when the Church authorities told us we had to believe something simply on their authority. Adults are no longer prepared to be treated like children who ask of their parents "why?" about something and Mum or Dad can get away with saying "because I told you so!" Dr Ian Elmer this week would almost seem to be inviting trouble in the second of his Puzzling Passages commentaries by delving into the mysteries surrounding the origin of the central Catholic liturgical celebration, the Eucharist and what Jesus was actually reported to have said at the First Eucharist. Dr Elmer is brave enough to ask the questions our bishops should be asking, discussing and preaching homilies about for the benefit of all. Let us hope their offices are flooded with complaints about this commentary on Catholica. Let us pray they respond with courage, and truth, to those who might be silly enough to try and argue that they know irrefutably what Jesus said at what tradition tells us was the First Eucharist. [more]

112 :
16 Jul 2009

Puzzling out the Passover… This week Ian begins a new series of reflections on passages from the Bible that remain the subject of debate and conversation — "puzzling passages", if you will. As the first foray into this subject, he thought it appropriate to begin where our whole faith tradition began, with the story of the first Passover. [more]

111 :
09 Jul 2009

The Legacy of St Paul… Today's commentary is Dr Ian Elmer's conclusion to the year-long series he has shared with us exploring the life, the controversies and the teachings of St Paul. In this final commentary Ian seeks to suggest a wider understanding of the legacy of St Paul. It's a sort of 'big picture' overview of the importance of Paul to the subsequent way in which Christianity developed. [more]

110 :
25 Jun 2009

The Death and Preservation of Paul… Here's how Dr Elmer introduces his commentary today: "We have no direct information concerning the circumstances of Paul's final sojourn and death at Rome. Acts ends with a brief account of Paul's two-year house arrest in the imperial capital (28:14b-31) where, according to Luke's report, Paul continued as an active missionary for "two full years" (28:31). What happened after that time is a matter of some conjecture; and the issue is bound up with the equally contentious issue of the authorship of the later Pauline epistles, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus." [more]

109 :
18 Jun 2009

The Final, Fateful Journey… In a sense this story Dr Elmer has been peeling apart for us is profoundly depressing. It's a story of failure. Paul failed to convince the religious establishment of the Church at the time that his way of interpreting the Good News offered by Jesus was legitimate. At another level though it might be a hope-filling story — and particularly hope-filling given the contemporary decline in relevance being experienced by Catholicism today: in the final analysis Paul was the big winner. The policy directions he had established were the ones that eventually prevailed and saw Christianity evolve into a movement with a mission to the whole world, not just the self-elect puritans and legalistic conservatives. As Dr Elmer himself suggests in today's commentary, our study of St Paul has much relevance to situations that we continue to face today in 21st Century Catholicism and Christianity. [more]

108 :
11 Jun 2009

Paul's Last Will and Testament! Dr Elmer provides his own introduction today: Romans was the last of Paul's letters; in effect, his last will and testament. It remains, however, a bit of mystery — we do not know precisely why Paul wrote it in the first place; especially since it seems clear enough that Paul was not the founder of the Roman church. Paul speaks of having "desired for many years" to visit the Christians in Rome (15:23; cf. 1:11-13), whose reputation for faith has spread "throughout the whole world" (1:8). Accordingly, the letter seems to have functioned as a letter of introduction; but Paul had reasons other than this evangelistic purpose. [more]

107 :
04 Jun 2009

Who wrote Romans? A slightly longer commentary from Dr Elmer today. It is an abridged version of a paper he delivered in Brisbane on the authorship of Romans. Trying to piece together the secretarial methods of the day and the mindset out of which the Pauline communities operated is as intriguing as any Crime Scene Investigation on television today. [more]

106 :
28 May 2009

Reporting to Rome... Dr Elmer introduces his commentary today with these words: "Last week we began an exploration of Romans and, in particular, Paul's comments about his final journey to Jerusalem. This week we turn to Romans again and ask why Paul's felt it necessary to write to Rome." [more]

105 :
21 May 2009

The Politics behind Paul's Final Journey... One lesson we might take from Dr Ian Elmer's commentary today is that politics played a huge part in the governance of institutional Catholicism right from the earliest days. What Ian examines today are effectively the political ramifications that were at play influencing St Paul in his third and final visit to Jerusalem. When bishops make their regular pilgrimages or visits to Rome today have the considerations at play changed much in 2000 years. [more]

104 :
14 May 2009

The Example of Christ... What can we learn from Jesus? Today Dr Ian Elmer comes to what he describes as one of the most important parts of Scripture that helped form our Christology — our understanding of Jesus and his meaning for our lives. Ian argues it is also perhaps the earliest source we have of the Christian understanding of the Divinity of Christ. This is a rich commentary well worth spending time with. [more]

103 :
30 Apr 2009

Girl Fight in Philippi! Today's commentary from Dr Ian Elmer might be approached as an excellent discussion, or lesson, in the art of conflict resolution. It's about a spat that broke out between two women at Philippi and how Paul sought to resolve the tension and restore harmony in his community. Have you ever had to mediate to keep the peace in your family, or your community? This is a lesson worth reflecting on for those times. [more]

102 :
23 Apr 2009

A love letter? It's an interesting question whether St Paul ever wrote an intimate love letter in his life. It is perhaps ironic that some of his words on love are amongst the most popular chosen for wedding ceremonies. Our lead commentator today, Dr Ian Elmer today resumes his journey with St Paul after the pause last week to look back in overview of where we've travelled so far. He's looking at St Paul's dealings with the community at Philippi — a community that Paul appears to have held in high regard. [more]

100 :
09 Apr 2009

The meaning in the quest... Dr Ian Elmer takes a slight pause in his "Year of St Paul" commentaries to present an overview of why this year of study is valuable. He argues: "Whether it is the historical Jesus or the historical Paul we seek, our analyses can only assist us to some understanding of the historical and faith related issues surrounding the origins of Christianity." [more]